Military plans to join 'strong' exchanges

A former defense ministry official on Wednesday rejected the possibility of a war, saying the Chinese military has a "strong" exchange plan this year, including holding joint drills with Russia and the United States, and giving a "positive response" to the Pentagon's invitation to join the world's largest naval exercise.

The complications of China's diplomatic environment have been exaggerated, Qian Lihua, former head of the foreign affairs office of the Ministry of National Defense, said on the sidelines of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which opened on Sunday.

Every country will feel more uncertain than before since the world is still restructuring after the end of Cold War, but new leaderships in China, the US and Japan all want a favorable environment for their domestic development, he added.